31 Club Members Travel to Spend a Day with Daryle

Yesterday, I got to do something that I love to do. You see, two of our 31 Club Members, Mary and Ron, traveled from Ohio to Chicago to meet me at the Randolph Street Market Festival (formerly the Chicago Antique Market) and I got to personally help them get started in this fascinating business. For me, nothing's better than helping people get started in a new adventure, helping them improve the quality of their lives, or helping others solve a problem.

What a thrill it was to finally meet Mary and Ron in person. We spent the afternoon browsing the market together, and it gave me the chance to introduce them to the many dealers with whom I’ve built up friendships in our local area. To my delight, they entered into long conversations with many of them. I’m sure a tremendous amount of great information will travel back to Ohio with them.

Mary and Ron got to see the business principles we use at the 31 Club in action when we spotted a Frankoma Trivet priced at $10. I estimated it would bring $20 at auction. I looked at Mary and Ron and said, “Let’s try to do better,” so after introducing ourselves and chit chatting with the dealer, I asked if he would take $5. He hesitated a long while, but finally said yes.

Here is where this becomes important. If you pay $5.00 for an item and you sell it for $10.00, you have doubled your money, which is equivalent to completing one step of the 31 Steps in our club’s “Million Dollar Race. If you paid $5 and sold it for $20, you would have completed two steps. Now Mary and Ron only have 28 Steps left before they can retire on their funds. Remember, if you complete the 31 Steps, you’ll have over 21.5 Million in your account. When we follow the principles I’ve laid out in my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles and take advantage of your membership in the 31 Club, you’ll be far ahead of the pack, and you won’t be working this business alone without help.

It really doesn't matter what the price of an item is, the principles are always the same. We are aiming to at least double our money from each purchase and keep our profits compounding to fund additional, higher end buys.

The Frankoma Trivet wasn't the only thing we discovered. I spied a 9” Dedham Turkey plate priced at $250 and thought it might be a bargain. After talking to the dealer and finding out he had been in the business for well over 20 years, I decided it was time to make my offer. This was easy for me because the number $125.00 popped into my mind and rolled right off my tongue. The dealer considered this for a while beforel he accepted my offer. As we gathered up our purchase, we agreed to stay in touch, because I am sure we will be doing business together in the future. This was a very informed dealer, and he wanted me to have the opportunity to make a profit, because at $125, he’s apparently made his profit. From a collector, I may get as high as $450 for this plate. So make certain when you go to buy at antique markets, shows, and shops, the dealer knows you’re also a dealer. And don’t forget to bring your business cards.

There’s another reason I write about this dealer. You see, he
gave me his card before we left, but now I can’t find it! I hope he reads this Blog and will contact me.

Later in the day, Mary, Ron and I sat down at a table with three or four other ladies and began talking about antiques and making money, I know you aren’t surprised I’d be talking to whomever was sitting beside us, and that we might even have some new members very soon.

I hope Mary and Ron had as a great a time as I did. I really enjoy spending time with members.

I was also able to see Sally Schwartz, the owner of this fine market, and this gave me the opportunity to express to her how well the market look this year and congratulate her on the large number of dealers she’s attracted.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

Get FREE MENTORING from Daryle.

Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry. Learn Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

This Year’s Political Memorabilia: WOW! WOW! WOW!

With the nomination of Governor Sarah Palin as VP on the Republican ticket, now we have a real election with definite choices. But, what’s important to us is -- can we make money with it? Yes, we can. Regardless of whom you’re rooting for. You see, before today, there was only one party that could make history, but now, which ever party wins, history will be made. I believe this election will rate within the top five great elections of all times. Right up there with Washington, Lincoln and Kennedy. In the world of Political Memorabilia, that means mega bucks.Yesterday’s events have heightened the possibility of for us.

Since the Primaries began, I’ve been writing about getting out there and stocking up on the free memorabilia generated from this election, from both parties. Today, I almost want to command you to go out there and find posters, pins, photographs, ribbons and anything else that represents this election. Go to rallies, town hall meeting, debates, party headquarters and anywhere else you think of where material from this election might be hiding. Those who started early during the Primaries and were able to get their items signed now have a real treasure in their hands.

November is right around the corner, and time is running out for you to acquire these items. What are you waiting for? Items are already escalating in price on eBay and other auctions. You can check this out by going to eBay and doing a word search for McCain, then Obama, and then Palin. Then check the completed sales prices.

Pick up some items while they’re still free. Or, purchase a real treasure at an auction for a good price now, because I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. Pins, posters and other items from this historic election, featuring Obama and Biden plus McCain and Palin will likely bring in thousands upon thousands just a few years from now.

My Dad, God bless him, told me once, “If you see your lucky star be sure to grab hold and never let it go.” Well this election can be a lucky star for anyone who takes advantage of this opportunity. I am 67 years old, and in my lifetime, there has never been an opportunity like this one. I challenge you to look through price guides and see the prices people are paying for political memorabilia that has very little historic value. Memorabilia from this election will rate up there with the best of the best.

Do you remember the auction of Kennedy's personal affects? His desk, I think, brought several hundred thousand dollars and then other offerings tripled and quadrupled their estimated values. Kennedy's belongings will nowhere match the value of the belongings of winners of today’s candidates in this election.

When you discover where you can either buy or get these free collectibles, try to get more than one. You’ll find the value will have greatly increased shortly after the election, and you can cash in on some short term, but and save some items to cash in long term, and some to pass down to your children.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

Get FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets to help you make money trading in these treasures.

Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

Daryle's 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

The Marks of Quality: Steuben Glass

Steuben Cintra Bowl is offered at 31 Gallery & Marketplace

by Daryle Lambert

Steuben is one of my favorite glass companies and because the mark is often difficult to find, these fantastic pieces are often overlooked by dealers. If you are prepared and have a comprehensive knowledge of the different patterns in Steuben, this won't happen to you and the next story of a great discovery of Steuben may well be yours.

Steuben Can Be in Marked Several Ways:

An acid etched clover-like mark with a ribbon running through it with “Steuben” written in the ribbon. This mark was used from 1903 – 1932.

The same clover-like mark in relief with “calcite” written on the ribbon. This was used from 1915-1932. These marks are rather small and can be easily overlooked.
Steuben also used “Aurene” or “Steuben Aurene” on its pieces from 1904 – 1932. Often you will find lamp shades with these marks.

All Steuben should have ground pontils (The bottom circle where the glass rod is snapped off from the pieces and polished smooth.)

Steuben should ring when you flick it with your finger nail. All good crystal will ring like this, and this simple test is a good test of quality.

The great thing about Steuben is there was a lot of it made so your chances of stumbling upon it are pretty good. Steuben also made many different types of glass, and in the early days, much of it was colored. Today, the modern pieces are usually clear.

Steuben was founded by one of the true pioneers of Art Glass, Frederick Carder. If you find pieces with “Carder” marked on them, you have found a real treasure. Not too long ago, I found a Steuben piece in a basement and purchased it for $20. I still have it, because my wife wouldn't let me sell it until now, and today it is listed in our market place.

To give you an idea on some of the values of Steuben, these listings from Kovel’s Price Guide will help. Candlesticks - alabaster stem and green foot $1610; Figurine - Excalibur, sword in stone $2100, Lamp - Acanthus Leaf $2415. I have no idea why Kovel's didn't list more expensive items in their book, but rare Steuben pieces can bring tens of thousands of dollars.

If you'll spend some time getting acquainted with Steuben Glass, you'll be able to spot this fine glass. I especially recommend studying the more rare pieces.

In our Blog a few days ago, our 31 Club Member, Julie, shared a photo of her great Steuben find. Today, it is offered in our Gallery & Marketplace. You can see it here.

Julie did one of the things I think is most important to do to be successful in the Antique, Fine Arts and Collectible business. She bought multiple items. One ended up being the real shining star, while the rest are far above average. The Steuben will sell quickly and more than recoup all of her investment from the entire lot she purchased. She can take some extra time getting a fair price for the others without having her money tied up.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Art, Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills with FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert.

Learn Inside the Industry Secrets to help you Profit in this Business.

Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Program.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Know the Characteristics of Original Prints

Pablo Picasso Print Reproduction, Pencil Signed by the Artist, is offered at 31 Club Gallery.

by Daryle Lambert

Today it is easy to be suspicious of everything we see. When I attend auctions, often I will over hear a group of dealers discussing items, telling each other which ones are reproductions. The truth is, most of the time they don't have the knowledge to truly know the difference between art prints and print reproductions.

By knowing the differences between originals prints and reproduction prints, you’ll have the upper hand, and this will pay off big time. Spend some time reading about prints, and learning their characteristics. Dealing in Prints is a big business, and if you learn about printmaking itself, you’ll be able to recognize true art prints. This way, you’ll know the real from the reproductions when you see them, and won’t be fooled.

Did you know there are many printmaking methods? Like wood block, mezzotint lithograph, silk screening, & etching woodcut just to name a few. If you learn to recognize the differences in these printmaking methods, you’ll be way ahead of most others. Below I’ve linked up a terrific informative piece about knowing original art prints from print reproductions. This would be a good starting point.

Studying from the Internet and through books is great, but getting up close to original prints is a valuable learning experience that shouldn’t be overlooked. Visit some galleries that deal in original prints and see these for yourself. Or make an arrangement to visit a printmaking studio class in the art department of a university or college.

In the area of Art Prints, I’ve picked up a few secrets of my own along the way. For example, there are just two original sizes of the John J. Audubon Bird Prints. If you know this, half of the battle is over. The two size are: Book Size, 11” by 7” and the Elephant Size, 26 ½” by 39”. These were produced from 1826 to 1854. There was an additional size, the Quadrupeds that measured 28”by 22” produced later.

It’s important to know these measurements, because if you see one in a different size, they’ve either been trimmed, or they were reproduced from the original prints at a later date.

A good way to check if a print is original is to hold it up to the light and see if there is a watermark, which is a mark within the paper itself. The watermark will be the name company who produced the paper and has nothing to do with the artist. This information can help you date the print. Checking for this can be quite trying when the print is in a frame.

I must admit, I’ve been fooled just thinking something was a reproduction when it was actually an original. This happened when I attended Direct Auction in Chicago. I had looked at many of the Audubon prints at this particular auction over the years, and they had all been reproductions. This time, there was a large Audubon print hanging very high on the wall, and I figured this was another reproduction. I got busy talking with people and neglected to inspect it. It sold for $150. My curiosity got the best of me, so when the auctioneer started working another area, I did a good study of the print. The buyer must be very happy because it was genuine all right. It’s wholesale value would be about $5000.

This was the very same auction house where a man I know bought a watercolor by Jessie Willcox Smith for $40 and sold it at an auction house across town a few months later for $22,000. I, like everyone else at the sale, thought it was a print. Don't assume anything. It can be costly.

Another time, I was browsing an antique mart when a woman brought in a Picasso print that had been pencil signed, and I had the chance to look at it. I knew it was real. The proprietor asked me quietly what I thought it was worth. I told him, in my opinion, it should bring over $10,000. Believe it or not he offered the woman $150 and when this offer was declined, he raised his bid to $500. She declined this one as well. I watch as $6000 to $8000 profit walked out of the mart. Yes, I would have gladly paid $2500, but he kept his eye on me to see if I’d followed her, but I didn’t. Since that time, I have had dreams about that piece. You see, it was his mart, and I didn't want to get into a lawsuit.

When you learn about prints, you’ll see why we’ve priced the Picasso Prints in our 31Gallery as we have. These are reproduction prints, pencil signed by the artist. You can take a look at these here.

There are many great books on collectible prints, and it’s a good idea to have some of these. Prints is one area that is most overlooked because there are so many reproductions, and few people spend the time to study it. When you do, you’ll be able to spot an original and cash in on this ability.

*******

Buyers -- buy high quality items for fair prices at 31 Gallery and Marketplace.

Sellers -- sell your high quality items for low fees at 31 Marketplace and Gallery.

Treasure Hunters -- partner up with 31 Club on high quality treasures you find. You find, we buy, we sell, you net 35%.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Today's Link:

Original vs. Reproduction

Antique Industry: A New Wind is Blowing Called 31 Club

The Antique and Fine Art Industry has always been run by one standard: Me First. That’s why it has always been so secretive. When I wrote my book, “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles”, I did so with one desire in mind – to break the unnecessary secrecy by sharing what I know to help others prosper as I have prospered.

I truly believe that when we invest our time in the welfare of others and help them to prosper, God sees to it that the wind of prosperity comes back to us, whether it shows itself monetarily or by prosperity in spirit, or both. My staff and I have dedicated ourselves, from our hearts, to help others prosper in the best way we are able. Our collective talents gave birth to the 31 Club. In a way, 31 Club is a like ministry. Call it the Ministry of Antiques & Fine Arts if you want. but here at 31 Club, we do things differently than most others.

How are we different? Let me count the ways.

For starters, we encourage personal relationships and we cultivate relationships with our members and business associates. That’s just how we live our lives. We aim to be like a second family. Members can call us about anything; business or personal. And if there’s a struggle in their lives, we particularly encourage them to call us during the struggle.

On the business side, we’re different as well. I’ve come to realize that this difference begins from my farming roots in Kentucky. Back then, the family farms formed a combine so together we could all have the best chance to prosper. That’s how we intend to run the 31 Club. By revealing industry information that can help members work smarter and by sharing who and what we know for everyone's mutual benefit. We hope you'll share who and what you know as well.

We also believe the fees at various sales venues in this industry have gotten completely out of hand. Something’s not right when businesses profit from your final selling price as if they were equal owners of your items. I’ve written about this topic in previous blogs, so if you missed it, I've linked it below.

When members want to sell items in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, they’ll find the lowest fees in the industry. We believe you should keep more of the money you make on your own items. Non-members will find our consignment fees to be lower than anywhere else, and collectors and dealers and will find very fair prices in our Gallery & Marketplace.

Now it’s your turn to add to our 31 Club. I know it’s been a long time in coming, but Jeremy has hooked up our 31 Panel of Experts and the Specialty Auction List on the Members Only side of our site. Our panel of experts are being connected, and you will be able to personally contact them for additional information and for their expert opinion in the area you need. I ask you to drop me an e-mail and let me know what area of the industry you’d like to see an expert available to you, whether it be Asian Ceramics or 19th Century English Paintings. Antiquities or Antique Musical Instruments. Also, let us also know what items you already own. Here’s the e-mail form. Just write “Panel of Experts” in the subject. info@31corp.com


When you have an item that might be best to sell at auction, take a look at our Specialty Auction List to help you make that decision. This list is also on the Members Only side of the site. Contact these auction houses and let them know we referred you. No, we won’t be expecting a referral fee for this from either you or the auction house once your item sells. Rather, we hope to secure better pricing for you when you use anyone from our list. See if anyone else in the industry is willing to do that.

I hope you are beginning to see how people will take notice of us as we grow.

If any of you have any other suggestions for our club, please send them to us at info@31corp.com with “Club Suggestions” written in the Subject line.

*******

Buyers -- buy high quality items for fair prices at 31 Gallery and Marketplace.

Sellers -- sell your high quality items for low fees at 31 Marketplace and Gallery.

Treasure Hunters -- partner up with 31 Club on high quality treasures you find. You find, we buy, we sell, you net 35%.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!



Today's Link: Fees, Fees & More Fees....

Sharp Treasure Hunting Skills Bring Rewards

Steuben Glass set found by 31 Club Member

by Daryle Lambert

As you become more knowledgeable than others in of antiques and fine art, you’ll be able to pick out the bargains, rather than guessing whether or not you’ve found a special piece. Of course, studying from books is important, but there are several other dimensions to becoming knowledgeable.

Studying Auction Results from companies who post these results with accompanying photos is very helpful, like from Rago Arts or Treadway Galleries.

Getting Up Close to some of the higher end items will help you begin to spot high quality when you attend estate sales and auctions. When you the attend antique shows in your area, you’ll find some of the highest quality items there to get up close to. Once you see plenty of these, your eyes for quality will begin to sharpen.

Another way to sharpen your skills and find some special pieces is to make a list of all upcoming auctions within 100 miles of where you live and ask to be put on their mailing list, whether they use the regular mail, e-mail, or both. Be sure to enter the upcoming dates on your scheduler. From their offerings, you can start studying, researching, and picking out the bargains ahead of time. Never hesitate to call the auction house to answer questions you might have. This process is a very important task, and one that will prevent you from spending your money on things that have little value. Members of the 31 Club can forward these auction house offerings to me and we can examine them together.

Always Remember the 25% Rule. That’s the rule where you buy an item at 25% of its retail value.

Conserve Your Money until there is value in your purchase. I know some of you might be saying, “Well Daryle, just the other day you encouraged us to buy something when we went out, even if it was a low end item we thought we could make some money on. What’s changed? Nothing’s changed.

What I encouraged you to do and said was okay to buy lower end items if there was nothing else, because in that way, you’d be honing your skills and staying in practice until a special item came your way. Money is money, and while you won’t get rich buying in the lower end, this can provide the means with which you’ll be able to buy the expensive pieces when they are found down the road. But, don’t forget, the 25% rule still applies with these types of purchases.

Practice and Persevere, and you’ll see results, like our member Julia D. did. Julia sends me e-mails with lists every week, and yesterday she sent me an e-mail with a photo of what I believe is a true treasure – a set of candlesticks and a bowl by Steuben. This is a fabulous set that is seldom seen, and it would make any auction house proud to sell.

This isn’t the first time you’ve heard of Julia. Earlier this summer, Julia spotted a Coromandel Lamp by Rookwood Lamp. It was purchased through our Associates Program. It was such a nice example, a representative from Cincinnati Art Galleries stopped in yesterday to pick it up. They will offer it in their November auction. I have no doubt Julia will be well-rewarded for this find. She also spotted a Muncie Lamp that will be added to our marketplace soon.

Julia is out there hunting, studying and researching. Her effort and perseverence will bring results. She will be well rewarded. When you do as Julia does, you'll be well rewarded, too.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Art, Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills with FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert.

Learn Inside the Industry Secrets to help you Profit in this Business.

Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Program.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Molds Can Mean Something Other Than Dough


I have found that some of the best treasures you can come across in your search are those that had very little value when they were produced. This brings to mind items used in early kitchens such as butter, cake and candy molds. These have become very popular collectibles and can often bring a nice piece of change.

Most butter molds are made of wood or porcelain - with the largest percentage of them being from the very early days, being wooden with a circular base. These can be very decorative on the outside of the base, having been carved from a single piece of wood. The base is drilled out so that the inner dimensions will be the size of the butter mold you are forming. The top has a hole drilled through it so that the press can be put in place (this is a circular piece of wood that equals the inner dimension of the base and is where a common mold is separated from an expensive one.) The bottom of the press has a design carved in it and the more intricate the design, the more collectible and expensive the value of the mold. The mold has a rod passed through the base and attached to the press. This allows the inside of the base to be packed with butter and when the rod is forced through the base a formed cake of butter comes out the other end. The design on the bottom of the press is now formed on top of the butter cake. I have seen these molds bring over $500 and it is entirely possible that there have been ones that have sold for much more.

Another great mold collected today is the cake mold. They can be produced from several different materials however, the ones that I have come in contact with the most often are the Griswold Santa, Rabbit and Lamb molds made from cast iron. I have owned several of these and each time I find one it means that I get to ring the cash register again. The best one that I every found was the Santa mold, unused and still in the original box. I bought it for $200 at a farm auction and sold for a little more than $1,000. As a standard rule, if I can buy the Santa for under $300 I do, and likewise the rabbit for $125 or less and the lamb at $25 or less. There is a steady market for these molds.

Last, but not least, are the candy molds. These are the ones that I know the least about. However, if you can find the old tin ones I see in auctions, they sell quite well. I think you will find that these also sell at prices that are determined by the design. Like the cake molds, candy Santa's should be at the top of the desirability list. These are also produced in solid metals and have been reproduced in recent years. I have seen molds used in the candy factories where there were multiple molds within in one mold and they seem to be one of the collector’s favorites.

All of these items should be included in your list of collectibles that can be profitable and meet the buying criteria we encourage for members of the 31 Club. If you have a sweet tooth, you may even want to try one out before selling it.

Membership in the 31Club is but a click away so we want you to become one of members on the journey to success.

Be Easy With me


Cindy is going to be out of town today so I will be handling the blog by myself. Both Cindy and Vickie make a lot of fun about my mistakes in the blog so I ask for you to take pity on me today as I am on my own.
One of the first hurdles that we must overcome to reach our goals and convince people that our plan for the 31 Club members is for real is to post the results of our members transaction. So, I have some facts that I would like to share with you and these results can be yours as well by using the Associates program or by listing your items on our Marketplace.
This week Cecil has been instrumental in two transactions involving the Associates Program - we currently have transactions pending that will pay him over $3,600 upon the completion the item's sale. Both of these transactions will be with collectors and completed within 10 days of the purchase of the items. One of the advantages of the 31 Club for its members is that we, as your staff, have a very extensive list of collectors waiting for us to present them items that they are searching for. This includes paintings, pottery, art glass and almost all upper end collectibles. Often if you discover an item either for the Marketplace or Associates Program, we may have it sold the next day. This doesn't even have to be outside of our own group of members - we have recently had two members sell their items to other members of the club.
I hope you are beginning to see the potential advantages that being a member of the 31 Club provides you, if not I am failing to properly explain it. One of the things that Cindy will be doing in the near future is placing a clear and exact description of the Associates Program and the Marketplace on our website. This will hopefully answer any and all questions you may have about using these two options to assist you with success in the antique and fine art markets.
Just this week it was announced that “Worthpoint Corporation” was in the process of “Go Antiques”. There was no purchase amount disclosed on the deal, but you can be assured that it will be sizable. So what will Worthpoint get for their money - a company that charges a monthly fee for the dealer's listing their own items for sale on the “Go Antiques” site, they state that there are over 300,000 members pesently. Secondly, Go Antiques also receives a fairly substantial percentage of the sale price; and, thirdly if they help you list your items on another auction site they charge you a percentage for that service too. I think I have just answered my own question - they receive revenues. As an information company, combining this new aspect to their over all business plan, makes complete sense. But now my question is why should you use them?
Now let me bring a big smile to your face - the 31 Club is giving you all of this for free with the exception of a small completion fee for your items sold. We don't charge a monthly fee. We don't charge anything for providing you the best information on where to sell your items (for instance, we have recommended that our members sell their better Rookwood pottery at Cincinnati Art Galleries because that is where we think it will bring the most money); and yes, our commission fees are the lowest in the general marketplace. How can you pass up a deal like that.
Now, let me give you the best part of being a member of the 31 Club. We will buy the items you have including ones you discover - without you spending a penny! If you have already purchased an item that we approve of in accordance by certain standards we set, we will return your money. After the purchase of the item by the 31 Club, we will sell it and pay you 35% of the net profit. I challenge you to find another program in the Antiques or Fine Art's industry that offers this program. If you are already a Antique dealer or just getting starting and haven't joined the 31 Club - What are you waiting for?

You can join the 31 Club by going to www.31corp.com and by the way you will recieve my book " 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles " Free with your membership.

The Power of Two – 31 Club Associates Program

English Artist, Graham Hedges, "Storm at Sea" is one of two Hedges Paintings located by a 31 Club Member.


You, the 31 Club Members, have taken 31 Club Associates Program challenge like a race horse with the bit in his mouth, and you're running away with the race. You understand how advantageous it is to partner up to purchase fine art and antiques and share the profits. I have to pinch myself to be sure that what’s happening is real, so I’d like to share some of my excitement with you.

William, a true gentleman who had never been in this business before, was the first 31 Club Member to partner with us through the 31 Club Associates Program. We began corresponding on a regular basis with very little happening until one day, he called me about a Texas painting he saw at an upcoming sale. We agreed he should attend the sale. In the meantime, I took a look at the other items from sales leaflet over the Internet.

He arrived to the sale early and examined the painting, but it was priced extremely high and didn’t interest us anywhere near this price. However, there was another painting of interest I saw on the sales leaflet. It was by the artist, Walter Darby Bannard, so William took a look at that one.

I expected the painting to be over priced, like the last one, but it wasn’t. We were able to purchase this painting very reasonably, and this became the first Associate Program listing. When it sells, William will earn 35% of the net price, without ever having invested a dime of his own money.

I believe you have seen the beginning of the future for the Antique and Fine Art industry. I’m quite certain that once others catch wind of this, they’ll either join us or try to duplicate our program.

I hope I don't get these out of order, but the next purchase through the Associate Program that comes to mind was the Patrick Henry document Cecil found and put through the program, followed by another painting William located by Peter Schofield. All of a sudden, we found ourselves hustling to keep up with the calls. Vicki D. located a wonderful Rookwood lamp and a Muncie lamp we partnered on. Two nautical paintings by English Artist, Graham Hedges, presented by Marsha M. soon became part of the Associates Program.

Over the last couple of days, we’ve entered into agreements with members on 147 Civil War Confederate Letters written by a soldier to his wife, many of which were sent during battle, a 1940's Kentucky Derby glass, and have a pending deal in process for 21 vintage movie posters and several signed photographs of movie stars from the 30's.

You, too, can earn 35% on high quality items you locate that fit our criteria. All you have do do is become a member of 31 Club.

Other Members are listing their items on the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, knowing the sales fees are the most reasonable of anywhere in the industry. That’s because we believe most of the other sales venues have simply decided to take too much of the pie. If you work hard, you should get to keep your honest rewards. That's how we work.

Anyone can join the 31 Club. We have newbies up through seasoned professionals as members. We even have members who own antique shops who are beginning to list some of their higher quality items on our Gallery and Marketplace. If you haven’t joined yet, why not?

Although we may be in the very early stages, The 31 Club is gearing up for great things. We are here to assist you however you ask, because nothing is as important to us as your success.

God Bless each and every one who have joined us and who read this blog.

*******

Buyers -- Buy high quality items for fair prices at 31 Gallery and Marketplace.

Sellers -- Sell your high quality items for low fees at 31 Marketplace and Gallery.

Treasure Hunters -- You Find, We Buy & Sell, You Net 35%.
Partner up with 31 Club on high quality treasures you find.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Fees, Fees, and More Fees. When Did Our Belongings No Longer Belong to Us?

There was a time when a person could take his belongings to an auction house and pay a 5% fee on the final sales price for the service. That left 95% for the seller. That’s pretty good, but let’s flash forward a few years.

Auction houses today increased the sellers fees, particularly for less expensive items. I’d say the average fee is about 25% with fees up to 50% for less expensive items. But still, this wasn't enough dough. So, the auction houses began to charge the buyers a fee to buy. These fees run 20-25%. Now they get paid on each side of the sale, so this caused buyers to reduce their bids. This reduced bid affected the sellers final price.

Wow! Sellers went from getting 95% of the sales price to under 50%. I may be an old fossil, but when did our belongings no longer belong to us? When did we gain an equal partner in our own belongings?

Next came the eBay stores, a place where the seller took their things to a public place who listed them for the seller on eBay. Their fees were up to 40% of the sales price. eBay got up to their 15% and Paypal got up to their 5%. I’d say that leaves the seller 40% of the sales price for their own stuff. That makes you an unequal partner in your own belongings. Fortunately most of these operations died a quick death, as they should have.

But, now there’s a new plan emerging. The seller finds a company to appraise their items, then that company consigns them to the auction they think fits them best. And yes, there is a fee for this. It can be 5% or more. (This might seem fair if the customer was able to obtain a discount from the auction house. Like 10% off their regular seller fees.) Let’s do some math. 5% for the company who consigns your own belongings to auction, 20-25% to the auction house when they sell your belongings, another 2-5% in fees for insurance and advertising for your belongings, and then whoever buys your stuff gets charged 20-25%. Please tell me where else someone gets charged to buy something – other than a government sales tax?

By the time you’re done with the transaction it comes to 46-60% in fees paid to a company to sell your own stuff. You, the seller, would end up with about 48%.at best. I wonder how long the public will put up with this. You just started out wanting to sell you own belongings for a fair fee, didn’t you? I’ll let you decide what is fair.

Taking on the big boys like this doesn't make me the most popular man in town. But, I”m not expecting to win any popularity contests. Just trying to protect you, the seller and the buyer and offer something better than what's out there.

That's why I ask you to take a look at the 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace when you want to sell your high quality items. We offer much lower fees than anywhere else you'll find. And buyers, there is never a fee to buy from us. Buyer and seller will benefit most by becoming a member of the 31 Club. Look here for fee details.

If anyone has comments and opinions on the auction house fee situation, please make a comment here. I think this is a very important subject.

Buyers -- buy high quality items for fair prices at 31 Gallery and Marketplace.

Sellers -- sell your high quality items for low fees at 31 Marketplace and Gallery.

Treasure Hunters -- partner up with 31 Club on high quality treasures you find. You find, we buy, we sell, you net 35%.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Ebay Goes Down Wrong Path and Hurts Those Who Helped Build Them

Do you feel the ground shaking and hear the sound of distant thunder? That’s the sound of the coming stampede of Ebay sellers making a mass exodus to other sales venues.

Ebay has, once again, presented changes in their venue, many of which I predicted last year, that will be sending a good portion of their sellers elsewhere to do business and leaving their stockholders in a long holding pattern or perhaps experiencing new lows.

Starting last ast year, and much to my dismay, I started predicted eBay would lose a good portion of their market share to their competitors. It looks like this will continue to occur as the company implements their most recent changes. (Links to articles in which I've made eBay predictions are below.)

You see, eBay forgot who got them to where they were, and it wasn’t the buyers. They’ve spent entirely too much time trying to please the buyers, when it was the sellers who helped build the company. In my opinion, it may be too late to salvage their position in the marketplace now or in the future.

Since eBay has continued to raise the percentage they take on completed sales, I predicted eBay would discontinue listing fees altogether, and stated it was in their best interest to do so. Today, they’ve dramatically cut listing fees but have not eliminated them. Most sellers don’t mind paying a little more if their items sell, but if they don’t sell, they take a direct loss which isn’t acceptable.

While from time to time, the company runs special days offering sellers no listing fees, I still predict the time when eBay permanently offers no listing fees will be just around the next bend. However, by then, it will be too late to bring back those who’ve been comfortably comfortably in another company’s pasture.

In their effort to make up for lost revenue and please their stockholders, other changes the company made will prove to be a big turn off to its sellers. Like the increase in fees for their PayPal services and their insistence that this is the only way to pay for fees when doing business with them. Forcing customers to use only the programs they provide will prove to be a mistake in the future. It’s cheaper for their sellers to go elsewhere and use other merchant account providers with more reasonable fees. No, the public isn’t going to let eBay make up their loss in revenue in this way.

Any reduction in fees will prove to be beneficial for those of us who use eBay to sell our wares, but the other restrictions, I believe, will be rejected in the market place. It may prove that eBay has, for too long, underestimated the intelligence of the customers who helped build them.

Ebay’s efforts to swing in the direction of retail sales by emphasizing fixed price selling is about four years too late. Companies like Amazon are not likely to surrender their market share to eBay without a fight.

What eBay might do next in their effort to increase revenue, will be to charge for their completed sales information. I made this prediction earlier, and I stand by it. Only time will tell.

To re-establish their growth pattern, eBay will have to reinvigorate their seller base, and that isn’t going to be easy. In fact, they might have to reduce profits for a while to build future sales volume. This might very well put eBay stock in a holding pattern for quite a some time and their stock prices might even hit new lows.

As I have stated in the past, what is bad for eBay can be good for us. So, when they have specials, take advantage of them, like listing several items on free listing days. Try not to get caught in the traps they set like reserve price auctions and the other gimmicks they state will bring you greater returns but actually cost you more. “Keep it simple” is a good rule to use here. In the meantime, investigate other selling venues if you haven't already done so.

Keep Skip McGrath and his newsletter close to you because I think he has the pulse of what eBay is doing down to a tee. You will find his many great resources available on our site. Don't forget our friend the “ The Auction Rebel – Gary Hendrickson” as he demonstrates his method of being successful on eBay.

Ebay made a change in my life, and for that I am very grateful, but they’ve been very slow to change with the markets. They might have thought they were invincible. But, none of us are. I still hope it isn’t too late for them. They’ve been a tremendous help to me and my family, and I thank them for that. God protects the humble, but if we try to do all things ourselves and even go down the wrong path, He allows for that too. I believe eBay has gone down the wrong path.

LINKS to my Previous eBay Article Predictions:

10/02/07 Will eBay Remain King of the Hill?
01/30/08 eBay Serves Scrambled Eggs
02/14/08 Is Ebay Running out of Juice?
03/25/08 eBay Fighting Hard in Wrong Direction

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Looking Forward to the Days Ahead

Anna Pigs are great finds. Read about Anna Pigs and other Anna Pottery at AnnaPottery.com

Today just might turn out to be a special day for 31 Club Member, Cecil. Often times, it can take some time to complete a sale with a seller, but today, Cecil has had his final offer accepted on an Anna Pig and 141 Confederate Letters and he's headed out to complete the transactions. He has been talking with me about these two trades for weeks, but it seems his great day has come. Of course, nothing is a done deal until the merchandise is in hand so let’s hope this happens for Cecil.

This profession isn’t about getting a pay check every day, but when the pay off comes, it can change the year for you. This is the adrenalin rush I need to fulfill me, and it keeps me going. Even today, I get excited from rehashing my old stories of past successes. In fact, my wife Vickie has given each of my stories its own number. I pray that Cecil will be adding two more stories to his list of successes today.

Feel the thrill of your successes each time they come. This is what gives us the will to continue when days and weeks have passed without a single purchase or sale being made. You might even keep a journal of successes, so when the days of nothingness overtake you, you can remind yourself of these successes and be re-inspired for the days ahead of you.

I wake up every morning knowing this can that one day when the phone rings or I visit a shop and find the treasure that will be added to my story list. I have found most dealers hesitant to talk about their successes, but not me. I am proud of every one I can remember. Why not be proud? By sharing your stories, you could be encouraging others to follow your lead and find success in their own life.

On another note, Cindy and I went to our storage facility today to photograph our latest finds, and they will soon be posted in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace. I was amazed by the number of items that have been added to our inventory in such a short period of time, given how busy we’ve been on other things. I would like to hear more about the items being added to your lists. Remember, if we don't buy, then there isn't anything to sell. Yes, we want to buy the rare, but to keep in practice, we may have to lower our sights for a few days until that special treasure just leaps out at us and a new story is born.

So, here’s my suggestion today. Don’t let another week pass by without making some purchases. Buy a few dolls and toys at a garage sale. At an estate sale, buy a few quality figurines if you can. After this, visit a couple of resale shops and see what you can find there. Then, head home to list this group of purchases. No, you probably won't make a fortune, but what a surprise it could be if, like Marsha, you bought a plate for a few dollars and saw it sail to over $400 on eBay.

Read, read, read and then practice what you've read. This will ultimately end in your success big time.

I haven't heard from many of our members about their position in the “Million Dollar Race.” You didn't think I had forgotten about it, did you? The 31 Gang feels they are just taking the first turn, but we don't know if we are ahead or behind. So, send us an e-mail about your trades, and help inspire many others who are just starting out.

Let's keep our fingers crossed for Cecil, because he has been so generous to all of the 31 Club members sharing the knowledge he brings to our blog on a regular basis. You go guy.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Antique & Vintage Furniture Values

I have to admit it to you it took me awhile to even think about the value of antique and vintage furniture again. Those of you who know me know I usually stay away from furniture because of its size, transportation and storage issues, but when I started seeing high quality furniture selling at local auctions for very low prices, I started doing some research, and after yesterday's blog on furniture, I continued my research.

Even though I think the price guide may be a little high for today’s market I began my research by turning to Kovel's Price Guide. Boy, did I get some surprises when I opened the price guide. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

I don’t know why, but I was drawn to chairs, perhaps because they still might not test my strength in moving them.

In Kovel’s guide, almost all the illustrated pictures of chairs were listed in the thousands. It was hard for me to find items for less than $300. This got my attention, especially when I am seeing wonderful antique chairs selling for $50. I believe the back of my truck will be holding a few of these chairs in the near future. I’ve stated before that having a copy of Kovel’s Price Guide is often a starting point with any research you do. If you don’t yet have a copy I suggest one today.

Here’s a sample of what is illustrated in the guide: Airline Chair by Kem Weber cantilevered from the 30's with arms $8960. No bad for a start, but we’re just beginning. Next, a Chippendale corner chair made with Mahogany c.1890, 31”, $1350.

When I turned the page, I couldn’t believe it! A chair I had just seen at an estate sale this past month that had been priced at $2500. The guide states its worth $38,500. What kind of chair is worth this much? It was an Eames chair, called a “pony chair”. The picture is in the guide. It’s covered in a cowhide bought back and seat. This is a modern chair, and we’ve discussed modern furniture in other blogs. We have discussed Arts and Crafts in other blogs as well, so it should be no surprise to you that a Stickley chair is listed at $4400. I've linked these previous blogs below.

There is an endless variety of chairs to choose from. I haven’t even mentioned all the chairs like Empire, Federal, French, Hepplewhite, Queen Anne and so many others. Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to purchase the highest quality chairs and those in demand. Some real good money can be made buying these items right.

Way back when I first stated buying antiques, I purchased a set of 12 wonderful bow back chairs with leather seats and a matching table. When my living arrangements changed, these were sold. If I remember correctly, I paid $150 per chair and $500 for the table. They were later sold for $350 a chair and $1500 for the table. The sad part about this is that today, I believe the chairs would bring $1000 each and the table, $15,000 - $20,000. But, the money has got to keep moving.


Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.



TODAY'S PHOTO is a Charles Eames (1907-1978) 1946 side chair

LINKS TO SOME OF MY FURNITURE BLOGS:

Modern Design Furniture

Furniture

It's a Buy for High Quality Antique Furniture

The prices of high quality paintings, pottery and art glass are on a tear. So I got to thinking, if this is so, there’s probably something out there dragging its feet in these markets. Turns out, it’s good antique furniture.

I thought the days of me hauling around chests, tables and chairs where over at my age, but the high quality pieces are a real bargain right now, I may have to reconsider. In fact, I have told you before that if an item was larger than a bread box, I wasn't very interested, but I may have to eat my words today.

The more auctions and estate sales I attend the more I am sure that there is big money to be made in antique and collectible furniture today. I’ve seen high quality furniture selling cheaper than I can believe. At an auction I attended last week, I saw a beautiful empire chest made of tiger maple sell for a mere $200.

Why this sudden reversal? In my opinion, we live in a disposable society. The days of the ancestral home are disappearing for many people. Families move around from home to home every few years, and family members divide up moving to other states and even other countries, disposing of furniture along the way and buying new "disposable furniture" to fit their new home. But, there will always be those who will be seeking high quality antique furniture.

In the markets I’m attending, I see early chests selling for $100 to $200 when a few years ago they would have brought $1000 or more. The same with antique tables I would have loved to have purchase ten years ago for $500, now are bringing in only $150 at auction.

Over twenty years ago, I bought a wonderful Armoire for $750 and sold it almost before I got it home for $3500. It was heavily carved with burl walnut panels. I’ve purchased a lot of furniture over the years, but I mention this one today because last week when I was in Owensboro Kentucky, I saw a pieced that was almost identical to this one, priced at $650. That’s just the asking price, and I’m certain I could’ve bought it for $500. It’s still beautiful, and I know even in this disposable society, there's still someone today who would pay $3000 or more to own a high quality piece like this.

If the market for general mid to lower end antiques and furniture isn't moving, this trend doesn't necessarily hold true in the high end markets. For the highest quality antiques and art, including furniture, there's always a market.

At the 31 Club, we keep our sights on high quality and rare items. And, our job is to buy right.

Well, furniture can be bought right today. Maybe we shouldn't wait any longer to take advantage of this under priced market. I know the rest of the market will be trailing us as we look into this dramatic change. By the time they realize what we are doing, it will be too late for them to catch up.

Yes, there are disadvantages to dealing in furniture, but like any other market, if the price gets low enough, it’s time for us to step in. We need to re-inform the public that today’s furniture is still mostly plastic or made of composition materials. Most of these pieces will last about two years or three years while hand made antiques have lasted over 100 years. If you’re up to the task of handling furniture, now is the time to make some serious money with the truly high quality pieces.

If I do decide to take the plunge and tip my toe back into the pool of the furniture market, I’ll have to figure out how to transport the items and where to store these fine pieces. I can tell you this -- the storage companies are begging for tenants, so a ten foot space will cost you about $100 a month, and the first month is usually free. That gives you time to make a profit to offset the expense.

I will be more than glad to answer any questions that you may have on
furniture, and soon we will have an expert on our "31 Club Panel of Experts"
for you to call.

Today's Photo: This French period antique double "Chapeau de Gendarme" armoire made of walnut and secondary woods sold on eBay for $15,000. It had hand carved decorative motifs-signed by cabinet maker on center front: 1786 Joseph Bertin.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Where’s the Shine Now on Silver and Gold? Sell Yours Now.

Be cautious of those who tell you where to put your money unless you know where they have theirs.

Many months ago, I wrote a blog and news article stating it was time to sell silver and gold you might have in your possession, not knowing the danger this would place me in. At the time, silver was selling at about $16.00 an oz and the forecast from the silver bugs touted silver would go to $100 an ounce, while the gold bugs were looking for $5,000 an ounce.

Shortly after that, I started getting emails, from "reputable people" in the metals industry, nasty enough to make your hair stand on end and sinking so low as to request the news organizations that ran my articles rescind them. Of course, none of them did. These supposedly reputable people questioned my intellect and even my heritage. “Don’t you know the fundamentals of these markets,” several of them asked? I think they had forgotten the Hunt brothers, or wished to forget them, and I’m sure many weren’t even old enough to remember them.

Again, today, I am recommending you sell all the silver you have in your possession at the price of $12.00 or more. As I write this, the present price is about $12.50. My projections see silver retracing its charts back to $6.00. Oil is retreating like it is being chased by a band of hungry wolves, and while the dollar is gaining its strength, silver and gold are in a free fall.

Like I warned in my blog and articles earlier this year, the people touting these industrial metals, and that is all these metals are today, have been the ones selling them and have the most to gain by their sale. I wrote previously that they would never tell you to sell silver or gold no matter how high their prices went and this has proven to be true.

Today there are companies still touting the purchase of gold, even though the price is plummeting and people are losing their shirts. These metals are no longer a hedges against inflation because they have been replace by currencies that are much easier and quicker to trade. There’s no storage, interest, or shipping to be paid on currencies, either.

If you want to see other investments that have proven themselves over time and whose numbers are continuing to go up, go to www.31corp.com. -- Daryle Lambert

Don't Let What you Don't Know or Fear Stop You

How do you know you haven’t already passed on that special piece? Every time someone finds a treasure, you can be sure that many people have passed on it because they didn't know what it was or because they were afraid to take a chance. Our goal is not to let either of these excuses stop us from reaching our financial goals in the Antique and Fine Art Busness.

This week, a gentleman called me about a pair of Oriental vases he thought might be a great buy if he could acquire them. His potential customer had e-mailed him about the pair.

I asked him what the customer was asking for them.

“Nothing yet,” he said. “They want to know what they’re worth.”

“Are you going to be paid to do the appraisal,” I asked him?

“I don't think so.”

“Why don’t you respond to the email saying you’d be interested in the vases, if they’d give you a price. You could also state the vases could possibly be worth $500 up to many thousands depending on their history.”

With his knowledge in this area, it might be well worth the risk of investing $1000 to $1500 in this pair. If he is wrong, the chances are he will still make a profit. But what if he’s right? Then the rewards could be a profit of $20,000 or more. No, he isn't sure which of these scenarios will play out, but he can't be hurt very much by either of them. I am hoping he gets that call and the price they ask for the vases is reasonable.

Some of you will remember when I entered an antique shop close to my home and was told they had nothing for me that day. Still, I asked, “Are you sure?”
” I do have a painting here, but it’s sold,” the shop owner told me. This gave me an opening.

“May I see it,” I asked?

He took me to the back of the shop where I laid eyes on a wonderful early painting of two little girls skipping rope.

“What did you get for this wonderful painting,” I asked?

“Twenty-five thousand dollars,” he proudly stated.

I asked if he’d been paid for it, and he told me the painting was on hold and he hadn’t been paid yet. Now the door was wide open for me, so I ask him if he’d call me in a couple of weeks if he hadn’t been paid. Sure enough, two weeks later I got that call. I purchased this painting for $16,000. I didn't really know what it was worth because I wasn't familiar with the artist, Frederick Morgan, but I was willing to gamble that its value was at least $16,000.

The advantage that you have over me in these situations is that the 31 Club is there to help determine values. Did I know that this would turn out to be a great find for me? Absolutely not. But, it was. This painting later sold at Christie’s for $115,000. What would the results have been if I had said I wasn’t interested because I didn’t know what its worth was or I didn’t know the artist.

I could tell you many more stories like these, but the important thing to remember is that if the price seems right on a piece your looking at, take the chance. You won't always make a fortune on every piece, but I’ll bet your decisions will be correct most of the time, so little mistakes are just learning experiences. This is why 31 Club Members just learning the business start with a trading account of only $100. That’s so their mistakes won’t cost them big while they’re learning.

When you buy something, sell it as quickly as possible. This should not take longer than 3-6 months. This way, you will have your money back in circulation to move on to your next purchase, win, lose or draw. Don't hold on to marginal items trying to get more for them than the market will bear. Turn, Turn and Turn your money over and over until one day you wake up and the world is yours.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

Get FREE MENTORING.

Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

LINK: 31 Club Article July, 2007

Secrets to Identifying Value in Art Pottery

Louise E. Edwards Decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase offered at 31 Gallery & Marketplace



Many people mistakenly believe that an item’s size contributes greatly to its value, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Often times, size is only one contributing factor, and we'll take a look at others here.

Many companies, in addition to their more commercial lines, had talented artists decorating their items in their “artist lines.”

Regardless of which company’s pottery you come across, there will always be certain artists’ work that stands out, and their wares are the most sought after and will bring in top dollar. For example, Doulton had Noke, Barlow, Tinsworth, and Marshall as their premiere artists. In America’s Newcomb pottery, Bailey and Simpson lead their group of artists. Daley, Sax, Shirayamadani and Nourse are the leading names in Rookwood and are quite valuable.

Being able to recognize specific artists’ work for a particular company will set you ahead considerably, among other things.

The 31 Gallery & Marketplace has a Doulton Lambeth-Louise E. Edwards decorated vase. While Edwards wasn’t in Doulton’s top tier of artists like Hannah Barlow was, Edward’s works are more rare than Barlow’s and also quite desirable.

Any piece produced by top artists will bring big money, but this is, again, just one factor in evaluating a piece for price.

Next to which artist decorated the piece, I believe the most important factor in price evaluation is its GLAZE.

Many Doulton pieces will bring very little in this market regardless of their size, but if you add one of the top artist names to the piece, bingo! Now, to get the piece to the stratosphere in value, just add a very rare glaze to it. Double bingo!
Familiarize yourself with Doulton’s Chang, Chinese Jade, Sung, and Titaniam glazes so you’ll be able to spot these when you come across them.

Most dealers are familiar with Rookwood, but few can distinguish their different glazes. Knowledge of their glazes will give you a great advantage because this is where there can be huge price differentials. Rookwood glazes commanding top prices are Coromandel, Dip/Drip, Goldstone, Tiger Eye, Oxblood, and Rust. If you are fortune enough to find pieces of Rookwood in these glazes, you’ve found a true treasure.

Now, here comes the story: I walked into a high end antique store in Chicago and couldn't believe the prices they were asking for what I thought were quite common pieces. Still, I couldn't leave until I had looked at every item they had for sale. In the back of the store, I spotted a very small vase looking rather lonely, about 4” in height. I picked it up to examine who the artist was, but as I looked at it, I realized it was a very rare glaze by a very early artist.

The store was having a sale that day and priced the vase at $400. I quickly offered $200 and it became mine quite quickly. As I left the store, I’m sure the sales lady was shaking her head saying, “There goes a fool without his money.”

Little did she know that I consigned the vase to the Cincinnati Art Galleries and it brought in (drum roll) $2000 at auction.

My friend Cecil did the same thing recently. He bought a piece of Owens pottery for less than $100. But, because it had a special glaze he recognized it and knew it was a great buy. That piece was hammered at over $2400 at auction.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

LINK: 31 Club Article July, 2007

Trailblazing The Path To Success in the Antique and Fine Art Market: 31 Club Wish List & Associate Program

Your 31 Club is trailblazing a path for people in this industry, and its tremendous growth will make it a better opportunity for our members.

31 Club is building the one place to go to if you are looking for high quality antiques, the one place to go to let people know you are ready, willing and able to buy, the one place to sell, the one place to go to get free mentoring on dealing in Antiques and Fine Art, and the one place to consign your rare and high quality antiques and art. While anyone can consign their rare and high quality items to 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace, our already low commissions are even lower when you’re a member. With our membership offer ridiculously reasonable right now, it makes good sense to join now rather than later.

Just think, we at 31 Club, are really starting to turn this market around. Last year, I can still remember when all I could read was negative articles about this business or listen as dealers complained about the business, while still doing it the old fashion way. We published several articles to the contrary and challenged this negativity through our blogs. Now I hear dealers excited about the market, and even the trade papers are beginning to think that the Antique and Fine Art business is here to stay. Considering that new records are being set in almost all areas of our business on a daily basis, they should. 31 Club was first to recognize that the best in this business is still ahead of us. As our members complete the steps in our individual Million Dollar Race, the rest of the crowd will find us hard to catch up to.

So why am I writing about all of this today?

You’ll remember that the Associates Program is already working for many members. Using the program allows the member to partner with us, with no investment of their own, to purchase the best items they find and then receive 35% of the net profit when the club sells the item.

Well, today, our long awaited 31 Club Wish List is ready to be activated. These Wish Lists will work as free advertising for Members when thousands of people see their ad as it goes out over Yahoo and Google. Each time a person visits our website, they’ll be exposed to our members’ Wish List. Can you imagine the response you could get?

The combination of these two programs, Wish List & Associates Program has the greatest potential to increase the likelihood our members will succeed in a big way in the Antique and Fine Art Business.

Members should watch their e-mail for instructions on how to use the Wish List.

If you aren’t a member of 31 Club yet, go to our website and join us today!
Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

Get FREE MENTORING.

Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

LINK: 31 Club Article July, 2007

Ephemera: Letters & Postcards From Whom?

True treasure can be found in what most people perceive as trash, especially when it comes to old letters and postcards.

I once shared a story with you about a friend finding several letters in a box lot at auction by Martin Luther King Jr. he paid just a few dollars for. I know this man well, and I don’t think they will be sold anytime soon, however I am certain they are worth thousands today. I also wrote about the letter Cecil bought written by John F. Kennedy to a young girl, and this letter is true history about the sensitivity of this president. You could feel his passion for children through his words.

Letters like these will command large sums of money now and especially in the future. These kinds of finds are not a rare occurrence, if you’re willing to spend time going through piles of postcards and letters that seem to have no significance. You might come up with one or more, because they are out there in abundance.
Perhaps the best thing about finding items like these is their price. When they are found, they can usually be bought for pennies. But, believe me, it isn’t as easy as it sounds – at least for me. My biggest problem with this type of item is the handwriting. I have trouble reading the old handwriting. I hope this isn’t as big a problem for you as it is for me.

I may have come across a treasure like this. I was shown a folder containing nearly 150 Civil War Letters that are coming up for sale. I’m sure there are others who have interest in these letters, but depending upon what information these letters contain, their value could be small. But, if they contain descriptions of the battles, their value could almost be priceless. The wait for those answers will give me sleepless nights, I’m sure.

I’ve known many people who have found real treasure in letters and postcards. I remember a gentleman who found hundreds of pieces of sports memorabilia in the way of letters that had been tossed out into the garbage, only to find that they had once been the property of a very famous sports star.

Could this happen to you? If you’re willing to spend the time looking through piles of letters and postcards it can.

And there’s another value to be found in old letters and postcards. The stamps! You might get a real surprise in the value of some stamps. I’ve seen stamps attached to envelopes that have brought in $100,000 plus. There might be one of these in that old trunk in the attic at your next estate sale or garage sale waiting for you. So keep your eyes open and read, read, and read.

Today's Photo is a signed letter from Robert E. Lee


Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

Get FREE MENTORING.

Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Quick Turn Your Antique & Collectible Items to Keep Your Money in Circulation

I got the chance to visit with Cecil visited while I was headed back to Chicago, and we found some time to visit an indoor antique market together. We came upon a booth filled with some pretty good items. There was pottery, good art glass and some other varied items. To Cecil’s surprise, he began to recognize most of the pieces and realized they belonged to a lady who had placed them in his store to sell over ten years ago.

She must have tried to sell these items at many places since Cecil first saw them with no success. There was a Budweiser advertising piece she had turned down $1250 for when she had it at Cecil's store, but now her price was $950. What must she be waiting for? Perhaps she isn't convinced her prices are too high, but ten years? If she had sold everything at her cost back then and reinvested her money the 31 Club way, she may have been retired by now.

This isn't where the story ends, however. I thought a bigger market place might be the thing these items needed to get them sold. So, I asked the sales lady if I picked several items that totaled from one to two thousand dollars, would she make the offer? I was told yes because the owner had reasons why she wanted to liquidate her inventory. After scanning her entire booth, I came up with a list of items that, by her tickets, totaled $2425 (but they were all well over priced.)

After discussing it with Cecil, he said his top dollar would be $1050, however due to the circumstances I decided to make the offer $1250. It took about twenty minutes to get the answer. “No, but $1500 would be okay.” I told the sales lady I was already paying more than I should, and that I was leaving for Nashville and then returning to Chicago and $1250 was my last offer. She let me walk out of the store with my money in my pocket. In my opinion, she made a huge mistake. Will she even sell a portion of these items over the next ten years? Who knows.

Why is this story important to you as your search for treasure advances?

This type of experience can halt your enthusiasm. If you paid too much, you could end up tying up your money, and if a bargain does come your way, there might not be money for its purchase. Yes, you’ll always have the Associates Program to fall back on, but then the item has to be something the Club will approve first. We are in the business of keeping our money moving. You can’t compound your resources very quickly by holding items for long periods of time without buying and selling something.

90 days or 6 months should be more than enough time to sell anything you’ve acquired, even if it goes to auction.

If it’s in your possession after that length of time, my advise is to send it to auction. With the proceeds you get for its sale, start the compounding method all over again. Even if you paid a little too much and there may not be a lot of profit, you’ll have your money back in circulation where it should be. I wish this lady good luck, but my hope and pray for her is that if this is her chosen profession that she’ll join with us at the 31 Club, where we as a community, can take her under our wing and give her some guidance.

Thanks for all your prayers while I was away.

Daryle

*****

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

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Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Always Be Prepared to Make an Offer

Charles Courney Curran

The margin between success and failure in the antique business is razor thin. When you come across items you know are treasures and you want to make an offer, there are many things that will mean the difference between having your offer accepted or not.

The inflexion in your voice, the manner in which you make the offer, the kind of day the seller has encountered, and your being able to assure the seller you are an expert on whatever items your dealing on can mean closing the deal or walking away empty handed.

Never leave home without having the means to buy whatever you might come across during the day. Carry blank checks, credit cards, or the phone number for the 31 Club with you at all times.

Don’t let your past experience dictate your present action.

How does this all play out in real life? My experience from other day might happen to you:

There’s a man whom I’ve found it very difficult to deal with over the years. Now, this isn’t because he wants to be unfair with me, but he reasons that, “If Daryle can make a profit on the items I sell him, so can I.” I can’t fault him for that.

The other day I was able to visit his place of business just at closing time. He wasn’t in, but as I looked around, I found some items I wanted to make an offer on, so we called him to see if he was in the selling mood. Although my past experience with him hadn’t resulted in a sale, I tried anyway. He haggled a little, but to my surprise, he said the pieces were mine if I could pay for them immediately.

Two wonderful paintings by Charles Courney Curran (be sure to look him up], a signed Ronald Reagan photograph in a great frame, the best print of West Point, from about 1860 that I’ve ever seen, and two watercolors by Daniel Sheerin immediately became mine for almost $6000.

I’m wondering though, would the results have been the same if I said, “I’ll send you a check?” Or, what if I'd let my past experience with him dictate my present action? My past experience told me he'd say, "No Deal." If I'd kept that in mind when I spotted his shop, I might never have gone in to look that day.

You see the timing was right. The deal was closed because I could pay for the pieces at that moment, and he envisioned something else he wanted to do with the money that day.

I will be completing my travels today, and the last part of the trip will not be nearly as pleasant as the time I spent yesterday doing what I love to do: search for treasure. Most of the finds I come across aren’t found at times I know what I will be looking, at but rather when I least expect them, like yesterday, so you must always be ready.

I did make a major mistake in yesterdays blog and believe it or not it wasn’t in my grammar. The mistake was that it is my Brother-in-Law’s funeral, not my Son-in-Law’s.

*****

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Stay Current With Trends in Antiques & Collectibles: Carnival Glass

For some time, I’ve told you how very important it is to stay current with the trends so you won’t make mistakes. Well, I guess I will have to take some of my own medicine, because I am surprised how far off I was on the trend in rare Carnival Glass.

Some of the Carnival Glass I sold only two or three years ago have tripled or more in value since then. I was talking to Cecil about the Carnival Glass Blue People’s Vase that brought in over $31,000 and he began to laugh. At first I wanted to punch him because I thought he didn’t believe me. But, that wasn’t the case. He showed me that in the latest Mordini Records on Carnival Glass, this piece sold for over $100,000. If Carnival Glass in of interest to you, you can get the Mordini Records for a very reasonable amount each year.

At this point, I have to admit my curiosity got the best of me, and I had to know what some other pieces I sold were worth today. According to the records, a plate I sold for $5000 sold for over $17,000 and a punch set that brought me $4500 listed
near $20,000. I wanted to quit looking.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sorry I sold these pieces. After all, the profits were quickly reinvested and I’ve kept my money moving and compounding. I was more upset I haven’t kept current on their prices. You see, if I passed a great piece because I wasn’t prepared by staying current on prices, this could have been my misfortune.

You can be assured that Rare Carnival Glass will be added to the What’s Hot List, and I’ve learned a lesson. But remember, not all Carnival Glass is desirable. Look for pastel colors and unusual pieces. Vintage pieces in red will definitely make you a happy camper if you come across them.

Today's Photo: A rare Fenton 3-Toed Bowl in Grape & Cable Pattern. This bowl is in the Showroom and Museum of Replacement's, Ltd.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills.

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Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Things Happen

I received some bad news yesterday, and I want to apologize if there were any emails or questions I didn't return answers. My son-in-law in Tennessee passed away unexpectedly and my family and I had to prepare for our trip down south for the funeral.

I’ll be in contact with Cindy to be sure our unbroken record of consecutive blogs isn't broken. If there is anything that needs immediate attention she can be reached at cindy@31corp.com. In fact often times, she may be able to answer you better than I. While I'm away, I would appreciate you continuing to send me ideas about what might help your success, or sending any ideas you have for the club. There isn't a wrong subject, and there may be many others just waiting for someone to ask for a blog on the subject you suggest who will benefit by your suggestion or question. This Club will always have, front and center, the desire to help our fellow members. Hopefully soon, we’ll have a way for you to communicate with each other. Keep watching because Jeremy has some exciting things in store for you in the future on our website.

Truthfully I have to admit, at this moment my heart isn't into writing about Antiques and Art, but about the importance and beauty of finding true friends and sharing your life with them. God willing, there will be many years for us to discuss adventures and treasure finds together, but by chance, there may also be times we need to share our pains. Please always feel free to express to us and your fellow 31 Club members, times when you need prayer and support. We are your friends. Having said that, I ask for you keep my family, and especially my daughter, in your prayers until we return on Monday. This will be a difficult trip, and my wife Vickie will be doing most of the driving, so I ask for prayers that she’ll be able to get some rest somewhere along the line.

When you think about it, you could die of a bee sting, a car accident, or on the operating table like my son-in-law, but God knows your time so it’s best to always be prepared. You can wake up each morning and figure it won’t be today, but are you sure?

Never leave anything undone that needs your attention today, because by waiting, it may be too late to tell those kids or grandkids you love them, or to give your wife or husband that last kiss.

The last thing I do before falling off to sleep each night is to give God thanks for all the blessing I’ve had that day. At my age, I am truly beginning to realize how little control I have over things and how grateful I am for that. As I leave on this trip thinking about a number of things, one of them will be about all the success we’re having together, giving God the appreciation He deserves for this.

In His grace,
Daryle

Carnival Glass Revisited

Fenton Dragon & Lotus Carnival Glass Plate sold for $1225 on eBay.

We’ve covered many topics over the last year, and even though each day I’d like to present something new, it’s just as important to keep up to date on subjects already discussed. One of these is Carnival Glass, particularly the rare pieces. This fine glass appears to be making a comeback and headed for greater heights.

Good Carnival Glass can no longer can be purchased for hundreds of dollars; today it will likely take thousands. This is like the start of a new market for many people, and the younger collectors seem to be drawn to Carnival Glass, because as you know, it was known as the poor man's Tiffany. No more however; certain more rare pieces are being elevated to the price ranges of some Tiffany. Wouldn't you want to know which pieces have high values?

I am glad to share my knowledge about Carnival Glass but if you’re going to be truly knowledgeable, it’s important to have a book that will help educate you. I have only recommended you buy a few books, and even then, I’ve given you places that you could used books at reasonable prices. If you want to be knowledgeable about Carnival Glass, the one you need to get quickly is the Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass by Bill Edwards. It’s a must if you plan to make big money in this business. This one book will give you almost everything you need to know about this glass. It gives a very complete price guide in the back, and all you need to do is see if these prices have changed.

Don't be surprised if you’re looking through a house sale or auction sale and see a Carnival Ice Cream Bowl by Northfield in the Peacock at the Urn pattern. It’s only 10” wide but carries a hefty price if it’s found in the Aqua opalescent glass. Are you ready for this? From the old Bill Edward’s book, the Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, this piece is priced at $31,000. What might that price be today?

Most people who still have Carnival Glass and aren't collectors have no idea it could be as valuable as it is. This glass used to be a give-away piece at grocery stores or gas stations. Someone who owns these pieces today could have received it from their mother or aunt and it’s been tucked away ever since. A bowl could easily be found for under $25.00 at house sales.

It’s one of my greatest pleasures to receive an auction list or a list of items selling at an estate or house sale from a member and to be able to tell them there are real treasures on that list. This happened yesterday when a member sent me a list from an auction he was planning to attend, and lo and behold – a very special piece of Carnival Glass was on that list. I was stunned to see it had an estimate of only $100. This piece, in the right selling venue, could easily bring $1,200 or more. Hopefully, our member will be the lucky buyer of this fine piece.

I previously wrote about a collection of Carnival Glass our member, Cecil, purchased and he called the other day and shared his results. He informed me that his entire investment has been recouped with the sale of only three or four pieces. He still has most of the better pieces and when he sells them, he should be able to put several thousand dollars in his pocket.

Carnival Glass is truly one of the real treasures we should keep our eye out for as we continue our journey together.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Art, Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills with FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert.

Learn Inside the Industry Secrets to help you Profit in this Business.

Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Program.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Antique & Collectible Business: Why Am I In This Businss?

This Historical Document, a Patrick Henry signed Land Grant is available in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace.

Sometimes it’s difficult to get out there day after day to look at the things others are discarding, often times turning up with nothing. Every now and then I think, “Why am I doing this?”

Then, there comes a day like I had yesterday, and those thoughts flee as quickly as they popped into my head, and I know why I keep myself moving forward in this business, even when I don't feel like it.

When I answered the phone yesterday, a woman on the other end asked me, “Are you the ones with the Patrick Henry document?”

I told her yes, and she explained that she’d been trying to find someone who could help her, and that she’d called numerous places, including auction houses, with no success.

“I think you might have come to the right place. What do you have,” I asked her?

I was hardly prepared for what I heard next.

“I have at least six signed historical land grants plus many other very well known men’s autographs. You see, my father was a surgeon in New York, and he was collecting these pieces starting back in the late 1800's,” she told me.

I’ve got to admit, I was getting rather excited at this point, and I waited patiently for her story to unfold. We spoke for about fifteen minutes when she asked me, “Do you know who Robert Louis Stevenson was?”

While I was not the greatest scholar in my class, even this old country boy knows Robert Louis Stevenson as the author of my favorite book, Treasure Island. In my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles,I wrote that Treasure Island was the story that first got me interested in treasure hunting as a child. I was all ears as she embellished on this question.

“My father was a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, and they visited one day at an Inn. He gave my father a poem he had written for him, and it was passed on to me.”

This must be a one of a kind, unpublished poem by Robert Lewis Stevenson. I could hardly breathe, and as we continued talking, she dropped another bombshell on me.

“You may not have known my father, but I bet you know a baby he delivered. It was the most famous birth he performed in his long career as a surgeon.”

Okay, she had me hanging.

“He was the doctor who delivered Jacqueline Kennedy,” she said.

As in Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onasis. The First Lady. Wife of the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. These phrases were pounding in my head.

You can probably figure out by now, I'll soon be speaking with her again, very soon. And perhaps I'll be traveling to the East Coast to see her.

The fun has already arrived for me again. I think my nine-year-old, Joshua, would even enjoy a day like I had yesterday. What other business can give you a story like this? I hope profit will come for both me, and the lady who called me. In her own words, she told me it was time to sell these items now. The big question is: What all does she really have? Wow! What a day!

Do you have good and bad days in this business? Share how you handle things by adding them in the comments. You just might help another 31 Club Member.

***

Put a Turbo Charge on your Art, Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills with FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert.

Learn Inside the Industry Secrets to help you Profit.

Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Program.

Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

Regional Art: There’s No Place Like Home

Have you thought about becoming a specialist in art from your surrounding area? Over the years, I have had some of the greatest art in my home by collecting the works of Kentucky artists. I’ve also made the largest amount of money in this business in Kentucky Art sales. I’ve found many of my Kentucky paintings in other states where they weren't as appreciated as they are at home, so big bucks were made that way. If you think about becoming specialized in the art of your region, both past and present, you might agree that this makes great sense.

As you know, I am forever on the hunt for paintings by Harvey Joiner, Carl Brenner, Paul Sawyier and Patty Thum. There are, of course, many more artists I’ll always add to my collection if they are presented to me, particularly from the Kentucky River Artists. You might recall I stated that everything in my house, with the exceptions of my wife and son are for sale for the right price, but two paintings by Patty Thum are my wife’s favorites, and they would have to go for a pretty penny if she’s to ever part with them.

I’ve been able to share my passions for Kentucky Art with my readers in several past blogs. It isn’t often one finds himself in a position to share his passions with others, however I’m in this position today.

You see, over forty years ago, I got to know an attorney in Owensboro Kentucky, by the name of Robert E. Humphreys, Jr. He had been a friend of my father’s for many years, and Mr. Humphreys assisted both of us in the oil and gas business. Although I knew him quite well, I had no idea many years later I would discover we had a similar passion – a love for the artists of Kentucky. While he was considerably older than me, this was one part of his life we had never discussed.

Well, a year or so ago, I was told Mr. Humphreys had one of the best known collections of Kentucky Art, and upon his death, his daughter and son-in-law acquired it. I wanted to introduce myself to them, so I phoned their residence and had a conversation about our love for these paintings. To my surprise, I was told that this collection would be shown in the Owensboro Kentucky Fine Arts Museum during the month of August, 2008. They also sent me a wonderful book that contains the entire collection of 48 works of Kentucky art Mr. Humphreys collected over three decades. I can’t be thankful enough for this gift. My only regret is that I, more than likely, won't be able to attend the showing this month.

You can feel the excitement I receive when I look at these wonderful paintings by going to the site of the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. I’ve linked it below. What an honor to have such a wonderful exhibit shared with the people of Owensboro and the many others who will attend this fabulous showing. I hope they will show their appreciation to the family.

Think about becoming knowledgeable about the art of your region. After all, there’s no place like home.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Art, Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills with FREE MENTORING from Daryle Lambert. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets to help you profit. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Program. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!


Today's Photo is a painting by Frank J. Girardin(1856-1945), a native of Louisville, Kentucky who later moved to Richmond, Indiana. This piece is available at Payne Fine Arts

TODAY'S LINK:

Owensboro Museum of Fine Art Humphreys Collection

Being a Team Player: 31 Club Marketplace

When I started the 31 Club Marketplace, I knew there would be times when I would have to go to the members for advice. This is one of those times, because a question has formed in my mind.

The development of the Marketplace and Wish List to service the needs of our members presents a possible conflict of interest, and I am asking for your input. Any expressed opinion will be helpful in the formation of 31 Club’s policies. Let me begin by further defining the marketplace:

The Aim of the 31 Club Marketplace is Multifaceted, Offering:

1. A venue for members to “Quick Turn” items at below market value.

2. A venue for members to sell items at the Fair Market Price.

3. A cost effective selling venue with a Low Commissions.

4. A Free Advertising venue of "Items Wanted" through our Wish List.

Quick Turn Price:
In order to quickly turn an item, it needs to be priced below fair market value, yet still enable the member to double their investment.

This offers the most likely scenario an item will sell, while still allowing the member to double their money. By quick turning the item, the member can keep their money moving, and more quickly ascend the 31 Steps recommended in my book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles.

Fair Market Price:
Members can choose to list their item(s)at fair market value with no assurance of getting the price wanted, selling the item in a timely manner, nor selling the item at all. This option will likely keep your money tied up longer, yet might also net you a higher amount, should the piece sell.

With all this in mind, when a member requests a value on an item they’ve purchased elsewhere, the club will always provide a figure it thinks would be the Quick Turn Price – the price a dealer or possible reseller would offer for a quick sale.

So, here’s a situation that might come up that I’d like your input on:

31 Club Member, Sarah, listed an item at the Quick Turn Price. It sold quickly, and she doubled her money when James, another 31 Club Member, purchased it. James decided he wanted to list that same item on our marketplace for the Fair Market Price.

Has the 31 Club been fair to both the buyer and seller and have they acted at arms length? I just want to be sure that after a member sells an item to another member, and it shows up listed at a higher price, each one will feel that their needs had been met. Please e-mail me at info@31corp.com or call me with your input.

The first person I presented the above scenario to is a wonderful young man in North Carolina who just completed a transaction of this nature with us. Here’s his response:

Daryle:

Thanks for the help in finding a purchaser for the Ellen B. Farr painting
so quickly. I received the check and those funds will be used to purchase
a WW2 German helmet. I am purchasing the helmet for $2000 and that will
be turned in to $4600 within the week. I realize I could have held on to
the painting and tried to retail it or sent it to a large auction house on
the west coast; but I have no guarantees that I will make any more profit
that way than you helped me make in only one week. So, in the span of
three weeks turning two items I will have profited $3600. For me the key
is not focusing on trying to get retail on an item, but to turn it quickly
with the goal of doubling my investment. Not bad for an Appalachian
American (hillbilly/redneck) from the mountains of North Carolina.

Mason

The Ellen B. Farr painting sold to a member and may be listed on our site. I'd like for you to share your ideas on this with the rest of our members. All responses will be shown to our group. The most important thing to me and to your staff is that we always keep your best interest at heart.

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Outsider Artist, Doug Odom

Outsider Art: Doug Odom, "Girl with Doll" is one of two Odom paintings offered at The 31 Gallery.

I have to admit, I couldn't stay away from the Glenview art show yesterday. This urge to return and tell the two wonderful ladies at the show I had written about in the previous blog overtook me I’m very hopeful my readers will follow these artists, because I think their art will be searched out in the future by collectors and will survive the test of time. While I wasn’t looking for thanks, they thanked me so much, and I assured them this wasn’t going to be the last time they heard from me.

While my opinions from the previous day remain the same, there were a few of the artist who caught my eye again once I returned, but they were the same ones as before. And, while this is just one man’s opinion, this is all I can write about from the show. However, I did meet up with an old friend who was exhibiting, and I can once again say he was the hit of the show. I mentioned in yesterday’s blog I would write about this special artist today.

He is perhaps the best known outsider artist around, and his paintings are unique, and I knew I wasn’t alone in my opinion when I stood in his booth, crowded with people commenting in awe and excitement in their voices as they viewed his work for the first time. Once you see one of his paintings you can't help but comment on it. His name is Doug Odom, and one of the things I like best about his work is that it appeals to both children and adults.

Doug had became a friend of mine almost a year ago. In fact, he was a guest in my home and I got to spend some quality time with him. However, our friendship doesn't reflect in my judgment of his talent, which is huge. I never tireof his good old boy demeanor as he tells his audience about life in lower Alabama. Whether you wear a suit or a pair of jeans, you’ll stop and listen to what Doug is saying. I overheard a conversation between Doug and a gentleman in his booth that made me, as well as everyone else roar with laughter. The man asked Doug if he had an e-mail address, and Doug replied, “Not in Alabama.”

“How about a phone number?”

“Not one you could reach me on,” Doug replied.

By this time, I could see from the gentleman’s face he was getting frustrated, but it was then Doug told him, “I can tell you where I live.”

“Are you sure,” the man asked tongue in cheek, and the crowed gave out a huge laugh.

If you know me, I’m sure you’ll know by know that one of my stories is coming about this point, so here goes: As I was making my way toward Doug's booth, I noticed a man carrying a very large painting, but it was facing away from me. I walked around the man because I thought I recognized it. Sure enough, it was one of Doug's works I’ll call “The Yellow School Bus.” You see, I had seen him working on this piece the day before. At that time, it was just this large yellow bus with children riding on it. While I hung around his booth, I noticed that as children approached this painting he would ask them if they’d like to ride on the bus. If their answer was yes, he’d ask where they wanted to sit. You might have guessed, but when they told Doug where they wanted to sit, he’d paint them into the piece right where they chose to sit and added their name to the piece.

So, when I arrived at Doug’s booth, I thought I’d have a little fun with him. He saw me and I started looking around at the paintings. “Where’s my painting,” I asked Doug?

“Which one,” he asked?

“The Yellow School Bus.”

He thought for a moment, then pointed up the aisle and said, “It went that away.”

I couldn’t help but tell him I’d seen the man carrying it, and Doug told me it was going into a museum. Keep a keen eye out for Doug’s work because people haven’t yet fully recognized how unique it is. Our gallery has two of his pieces available and you can view them here.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn the Fine Art and Antique Industry Insider Secrets that can help you make money trading in these treasures. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

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Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

31 Corp – Daryle Lambert- There's Still Hope

Yeah! My faith has be renewed today. There may be some good art for future generations after all. I attended the outdoor art festival at the Glen in Glenview Illinois yesterday. Believe it or not, I saw some great work. Most of the booths still left lots to be desired for future collectors but out of the many showing, I was able to pick out a few that will survive the test of time. I would recommend that you add their names to your list to search for because I think true collectors may want to have work by these artists in their collections.

I was beginning to get that empty feeling in my stomach as I passed perhaps 30 or 40 booths without even having a twinge of interest - but then it happened, there on my left was a booth filled with wonderful floral paintings that immediately caught my interest. I entered the booth, looked around and fully enjoyed the work when this very nice lady asked if she could help me. I told her what I was doing and that her work had caught my eye. We discussed the art world for a few minutes and shared the blessings that God has given us through art. I then stepped back and took another look at the wonderful florals that decorated the booths walls. I informed her that she might want to look at our blog today. I have made you wait long enough - her name is Kimberly Marshall from St. Petersburg, Florida. You can see her work at www.marshallsartz.com. Not until I got home and read one of her hand outs did I realize why I liked her so much. These are her words “ My art is an expression of my passion and love for life.”

It wasn't long after I left Kimberly's that I spotted another booth that drew me in. This time the paintings were watercolors- but not just any watercolors. This wonderful lady from Massachusetts said “can I show you something?” and I answered “yes, you can.” I was in heaven as she asked me what piece I liked the best. It didn't take me long to point to the beautiful vertical painting with very colorful flowers. As we talked she informed me that every painting that she paints comes from her garden or area. Her name is Barbara W. Doncaster and I may go back to her booth with my wife tomorrow. Her email address is www.barbaradoncaster.com. I wish that I had a picture of her work to show you but I hope you will contact her and she can provide you with some pictures. Both these ladies went out of their way to be friendly and gracious. I highly recommend that you follow up on the blog and get acquainted with these artists. The show continues through Sunday so if any of you are in the Chicago area, I would say that it is worth checking out this show just to see the works of these two ladies.

Tomorrow I will be writing about a friend that I ran across at the show but space doesn't allow me to include that visit in today's blog. Yes, I have been encouraged today and feel that there must be numerous other talented artists out there for me to find and pass on to you.

Don't forget to visit us at [ www.31corp.com ]

Cindy is out of town and will be back tomorrow so thanks for being patient with me as I have struggled to do just half as good at this job as she does.

31 Club - Daryle Lambert - Things have Changed

I know that you may get tired of me writing about the knowledge you need today to be successful in the Antique, Fine Art and Collectible markets but I hope that after reading this blog it will help you understand.

I went to a house sale on the North side of Chicago over the weekend and when I approached the sale, I could see that there was a long waiting line. Parking the car, I did as usual and started talking to the people standing in line. After a short period of time, I noticed the line wasn't moving much so I sought out the owner of the sales company and asked how long it would be before they would get to my number. Patience isn't one of my strengths. Again, I walked up to the son of the lady conducing the sale and asked if there were any paintings, pottery or art glass in the sale.

I know you won't believe what I am going to tell you next - but this is what we are dealing with. “No!” came his reply, “if there was anything good, mom would have sent it to auction.” I couldn't believe my ears. I asked him why I was there if all the good items had been sent to auction and his answer was “I don't know.” You see, the house sale companies have now started their own businesses by selling at auctions instead of doing a service for their customers and selling their items at the house sale. Of course, the customers come out on the wrong end of the stick because they still pay the house sale companies their fees and the auction houses take their cut, and I am sure the auction houses pay the house sale companys a fee for bringing them merchandise to sell.

If you ask the house sales companies why they sent the good items to auction their answer would be the good stuff brings more at auction. How do they know? The people arriving at their sales before daylight might very well pay a fair price for the better things – however, they don't even get a chance and the seller gets least amount of money in the end.

The logical answer is that the house sales people do not have the knowledge to price better items appropriately so they let the auctions do that job for them. If they did have the knowledge, you would bet that they would try to sell the items at the sale first at a fair price and then if the items didn't sell - they could be sent to auction. This is what I consider “servicing the customer where the customer retains a greater part of the sale proceeds.”

Why have I written this blog? Because you can still find bargains at these sales, often real treasures are not recognized by the house sales companies. For instance - the plates I bought for $150 and sold immediately for $1,250 or the Rookwood lamp that was bought for $1,500 has an auction estimate of $4500. Remember the Tarzan book purchased for a couple of dollars that sold for $18,000. I know a man who bought a Rookwood plaque for about $50 and sold it outside of the same house sale for $4,500. But the best example might be the Newcomb vase that I bought for about $3,000 and later sold for well over $14,000. Yes, there are bargains at house sales, but you have to be very knowledgeable to find them because it they are recognized by the selling companies, they will either be overpriced or sent to auction.

I hope that as we walk through this journey together you will grant me permission to continually feed you information that will make your journey easier.

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Happy Birthday to Us

It’s hard to believe, but yesterday marked our 365th consecutive Blog. Where has the time gone?

I will say it has been one of the most enjoyable times of my life. God has truly blessed me by having come to know so many wonderful people over this last year. You, my readers, have added unlimited joy to my life by sharing not only yourself but your families with me. I’d be remiss if I didn't give you credit for all the things you’ve taught me over this past year.

We, your staff at the 31 Club, try diligently to bring you relative information on a daily basis, but I have to confess. I think that we learn more from you than you do from us.

I got a little chuckle yesterday while Cindy was helping me find the photo for the Vienna Bronzes Blog. She’d been looking for Bergman photos when she saw some photos that resembled a bronze piece that’s been passed down in her family and sits in her bookcase. She called me all excited and said, “Daryle, I think I have one of these Bergman pieces. It’s a man on a prayer rug. Do you think it’s a real Bergman?”
“Well, what does it say,” I asked her?

“It has the Bergman foundry mark.”

Then, with a little laugh I said, “I guess it must be.” As you can tell, we do have fun working together.

My wife Vickie has always told me I am the most impatient person she has ever met, and Jeremy confirmed that last night. I told him I had announced that the Online Spread Sheet for club members was in its final stage of testing, and I believed that. However, Jeremy informed me that it’s the the 31 Gang’s Spread Sheet that should be posted by the first of the week, but it’s going to take him a little longer to finish programming our site so that members can create their own Online Spread Sheet on our site. The Wish list will follow that.

I can report to you that the Associates Program is a huge success, and we are receiving daily requests to research items to be included in this program. I hope that more of you will see the importance of the Associated Program, and realize how much money it can put in your pocket. The biggest user by for of this program has been the “31 Gang” and you will see this once the Spread Sheet is posted.

We’ll be sending out a press release soon that will tell all we’ve done together. There has never been a company in the Antique and Fine Art industry that has combined all the elements together like the 31 Club has, to ensure that every member of he Club has an opportunity to succeed beyond their imagination. Thank you for making this year so wonderful for me and your staff. If you wouldn't mind, I would even like to sign this one. DARYLE